An annotated catalogue of the tongue worms (Pentastomida) held in the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin

Abstract

An annotated catalogue of the type and non-type material belonging to the enigmatic arthropod group Pentastomida (tongue worms) in the Museum fur Naturkunde Berlin is presented. Aspects of human infection, current ideas on their affinities and some recent developments in the study of these animals are briefly reviewed. Types of eight species have been recorded: Raillietiella affinis Bovien, 1927, Raillietiella bicaudata Heymons & Vitzthum, 1935, “Pentastomum ” javanicum Bovien, 1927, Raillietella kochi Heymons, 1926, Elenia lialisi Heymons, 1939a, Raillietiella mabuiae Heymons, 1922, Raillietella shipleyi Heymons, 1926 and Cephalobaena tetrapoda Heymons, 1922. Five of these types are currently considered valid species. According to the literature, type material from Elenia travassosi (Heymons, 1932) should be in Berlin, but could not be traced during the present review and may have to be considered lost. A further twenty-six non-type species were recorded, plus specimens assigned to two names currently regarded as nomina dubia. This yields a total of 31 currently valid species in Berlin, representing nearly 25 % of the known world fauna. Much of the Berlin material derives from the important Richard Heymons collection, but significant historical specimens collected in Brazil in the early nineteenth century by Johann Natterer was also discovered during the course of this project. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)